Tooth brush



. Patented Oct. 26, 1937 e 'roo'nr Bauen Alfred Arnegger, Remscheid-Lennep, Germany Anuman man 7, 1934, serai No'. 114,51: In Germany 14, 1938 14 Claim.

This invention relates to tooth brushes of that type in which the handle is hollow and vis provided at one end with a rubber ball and at the other end with apertures which are located on the side of the bristles and serve to supplya disini'ecting or other liquid to the teeth while these are cleaned by means of the tooth brush. With the known constructional forms ci tooth brushes of said type by far more attention had been paid to eiecting the disiniecting liquid out through said apertures than to supplying the rubber ball and the hollow handle with said liquid in a convenient manner. In no instance is it possible to mix the dentriilce in a glass and take it into the brush within 2 to 3 l5v seconds without leaving any residue behind.

The object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks and to warrant likewise a powerful discharge oi the disintecting liquid through the said handle bores. I attain the object in view by providing at the free end of the handle, or 'at the respective end oi the handle passage respectively, at least one opening which communicates with said passage and contains a nonreturn valve which establishes the communication when the liquid is being sucked in, and interrupts said communication when the liquid is being forced out through the handle bores'. It is now quite easily possible to suck the liquid from a glass quickly and conveniently, as well as to supply the bristles with the same, the sucking action and the pressing action being eilected in both cases'by means ot the rubber ball.

The invention is illustrated atically and by way oi.' example on the accompanying 86 drawing on'which Figure 1 is an axial section through a tooth brush designed according to this invention. Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section through the free end of the handle where there is the non-return valve, this. ligure being drawn to a greatly enlarged scale relatively to Fig. 1. Figure 3 is an end-view o! the handle and o ball, f the tubular handle, o that portion o! the same to which the bristles h are attached. and c are periorations or bores through which the disini'ecting liquid is supplied to said bristles and which are distributed among the same. The

boresccommunicatewithapassagebwhichex- March tends through the entire length of the handle,

iromthe rubber ball a to an aperture e, which is located at the lfree end of the handle and contains a non-return valve d .which is of conical shape in the example shown in Fig. 2.

, 6 'Ihe portion a oi' the handle may be of oblong transverse section, for instance as shown in Fig. 3, and there may be a plurality of apertures e, each of which is provided with a non-return valve having either the same shape as in Fig, 2 or another shape.

Instead of conical shape, the non-return valve or valves may be of globular shape, as in the modication shown in Fig. 4 in which I denotes the valve ball which is located in the conical portion of the aperture e. A transverse pin i prevents the valve ball from being moved away too much from its seat.

In this constructional form the outlet bores for the liquid are located not between the bristles. but aty the end proper of the handle. k denotes these bores, of which there is a plurality arranged side by side, as appears from Fig. 5. This arrangement oi said bores presents the. advantage that even the smallest residue oi a liquid contained, for instance. in a glass can be sucked away from the same, in that the suction takes place solely at the end proper oi the handle where there are the bores lc and no air can enter into the passage b through lateral oriiices, as in Fig. 1.

I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular constructional forms of valves such as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Also other constructional valves, suitably designed, may be used for the purpose stated1 I claim:

In a tooth brush in combination with a hollow handle having the inner end open, a hollow rubber bulb having its hollow interior in communication with the opening ci' the handle associated with laid Open inner end, the outer end comprising a brush head including tufts voi. bristles, the outer end of the brush head being Provided with several aperturessoarrangedastoallcwpassageof waterto and between the inner ends of the bristies ofthe brush head, the outer en d o! the brush head being also provided with' an' inlet opening forming a valve seat, and an inlet valve associated with the valve seat in said inlet opening whereby during opening of thevalve a quicknlling ofthe brush with liquid is facilitated in a minimum time while on the closng of the valve a strong and' continued sprayl between the teeth is eilected. 

